Lord of the Rings Online Developer Hit with Layoffs

One of the most influential development studios in MMORPG history has just been hit with a number of pink slips.

Gamasutra has reported that a number of employees at Turbine Inc. have lost their jobs today. Turbine is the development studio that was responsible for both The Lord of the Rings Online and Infinite Crisis. Unfortunately, there has not been any confirmation as to the number of employees who were let go or how this will affect the studio's future projects.

"As part of our normal business process, we’re routinely looking at the strategic alignment of our company," a Warner Bros. rep told the site in a statement. "Unfortunately, in order for us to invest in growth areas at Turbine, we have to eliminate some positions."

Asides from The Lord of the Rings Online and Infinite Crisis, Turbine Inc. is also known for the Asheron's Call series of massively multiplayer online role-playing games. Asheron's Call was a highly influential and pivotal title to early days of the MMORPG genre, and, along with EverQuest, set the standard for early MMO juggernauts like Final Fantasy 11 and World of Warcraft.